School Site - Pre 1600 ?

What appears to have been on the site before the 1600 fire is a dwelling house, built recently before the fire, together with 'an enclosure and garden annexed'. Permission was given to WP's agents to demolish a bakehouse and other buildings. Forder, while admitting 'it is idle to speculate on the arrangements ... of the dwelling house' etc, says it may be that the house was likely in the NE corner (i.e. under the bike sheds...!), the garden in the NW (under the Armoury), and the 'enclosure' - a field or paddock - to the south (Grammar School Rd end). He speculates as to whether the garden was that which held the famous pear tree of 1770. What is exercising me is that the site is said to stand in Churchgate, to the south of the market; by 1841, Churchgate St was the name given to what we call Vicarage St. But street names change... Spurdens (HM 1807-25) thought the site had previously held some monastic buildings, of which the foundations could still be seen when he wrote in 1836, but he is deeply unreliable. (he may have been trying to link the School with the old monastic school at NW, (i.e pretend continuity of establishment, and thus push the foundation date even further back!) which was almost certainly held in the church). He thought the Schoolhouse was erected over these foundations, and stood to the north of the present one - 'about midway to the market', says Forder, which would place it about level with the Assembly Hall. Excavations in c1945 did reveal some foundations, possibly the buildings demolished in 1603. A new 'dig' would be very good: I wonder if we could get Time Team to come and do it to celebrate the 400th anniv in 2006...?) Forder admits later we do not know where it stood, but that 'it would face south'. When the current House was built, (1764-7), Spurdens says it was built further south, but on no evidence at all. No engravings/pictures of the original building have yet come to light - if they ever existed! What is plain is that the walls of the entry from the Market (now an alley owing to encroachment of shops) date back to 1604 - the only bit of the original school buildings left. The date 1604 is correct in case you were wondering: the School actually opened in 1604, (exact date as yet unknown), but 1 Oct 1606 is regarded as the official birthday as that is when WP's final Deed of Gift was signed. (Thanks Nick G)